F-sharp major

F-sharp major

Relative key	D-sharp minor enharmonic: E-flat minor
Parallel key	F-sharp minor
Dominant key	C-sharp major enharmonic: D-flat major
Subdominant	B major
Enharmonic	G-flat major
Component pitches
F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯

F-sharp major (or the key of F♯) is a major scale based on F♯, consisting of the pitches F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, and E♯. Its key signature has six sharps.

The F-sharp major scale is:

The direct enharmonic equivalent of F-sharp major is G-flat major, a key signature with six flats. Its relative minor is D-sharp minor (or enharmonically E-flat minor) and its parallel minor is F-sharp minor.

Music in F-sharp major

See also: List of symphonies in F-sharp major

F-sharp major is the key of the minuet in Joseph Haydn's "Farewell" Symphony, of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 24, Op. 78, of Chopin's Barcarolle, of Verdi's "Va, pensiero" from Nabucco, of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, of Mahler's unfinished Tenth Symphony, of Erich Korngold's Symphony Op. 40, of Scriabin's Fourth Sonata. The key was the favorite tonality of Olivier Messiaen, who used it repeatedly throughout his work to express his most exciting or transcendent moods, most notably in the Turangalîla-Symphonie.

In writing music for transposing instruments in B♭ or E♭, it is preferable to use G-flat major rather than the F-sharp key signature. If F-sharp major must absolutely be used, one should take care that B♭ wind instruments be notated in A-flat major, rather than G-sharp major (or A instruments used instead, giving a transposed key of A major).

Like G-flat major, this key is rarely used in orchestral music, other than in passing. It is more common in piano music, such as the sonatas of Scriabin and Grieg's Lyric Pieces.

Notable songs

• The Ad Libs – "The Boy from New York City"
• The Beach Boys – "Barbara Ann"
• The Beatles – "Yellow Submarine"
• Cher – "Believe"
• The Chiffons – "One Fine Day"
• Paula Cole – "I Don't Want to Wait"
• Miley Cyrus – "Party in the U.S.A."
• Extreme – "More Than Words"
• Hootie & the Blowfish – "Only Wanna Be with You"
• Tommy James – "Draggin' the Line"
• Cyndi Lauper – "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"
• Gordon Lightfoot – "Sundown"
• Lobo – "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"
• Madonna – "Like a Virgin"
• Smash Mouth – "All Star"
• Dolly Parton – "9 to 5"
• Prince & The Revolution– "Let's Go Crazy"
• Bob Seger – "Old Time Rock and Roll"
• The Skyliners – "Since I Don't Have You"
• Spice Girls – "Wannabe"
• Village People – "Y.M.C.A."
• Stevie Wonder – "Living for the City"

External links

• Media related to F-sharp major at Wikimedia Commons
• List of instrumental music in F-sharp major